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<title><![CDATA[Yahoo! rss_cars : Lada]]></title>
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<description><![CDATA[Lada]]></description>
<language>ukiedata</language>
<lastBuildDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2005 01:00:00 GMT</lastBuildDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Lada Niva (1983 - 1997) : RUSSIAN and READY FOR ANYTHING]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - Models Covered:1.6 three-door Hatchback [4wd, 4wd Cossack] / 1.7 three-door Hatchback [Hussar, Cossack]BY JONATHAN CROUCHTell your mates you're in the market for a second-hand Lada and chances are, they'll tell you to save up and buy something else. But if the budget is tight and you want a small off-roader, the Niva's what you'll want. It may not be the world's most advanced vehicle, but its simple mechanicals and basic equipment levels mean there are not too many things to go wrong. The Niva was sold in the UK from 1979 until 1997, when the importers regretfully closed the new car order books. Electronic engine management and fuel injection was needed for both the Niva and its family-car brother, the Samara, to meet EC exhaust emission standards. Strapped for cash, the factory simply could not afford to develop the new technology or buy it from the one American supplier that had the ideal system. Niva buyers have tended to be a mixture of dedicated four-wheel drive enthusiasts, farmers and those who fancy something like a big off-roader but whose bank manager disagrees. Enthusiasts now eagerly seeking out the last cars.Something that's been designed for off-road use first and foremost, so don't expect it to drive like a miniature Discovery. The jazzed-up versions are perhaps not ideal, as the Niva was never designed to be a Suzuki Vitara competitor. It wears its frills a little uncomfortably. Go for the basic models they're honest, rugged and cheap, to boot.Depreciation is what the Niva has been famous for, but that's great news for the used buyer and, to be fair, values now drop at a relatively slow rate. You really should avoid cars that look worn as they may well need a fair amount of work. You don't need to pay too much for any Niva, so don't waste too much time with tatty examples, unless they're amazingly cheap. Starting with the 1.6-litre cars, it's amazing to find a small four-wheel drive so cheap. 93K-reg examples can be found under £300 and even a 94M-plate car will be less than £500. For Cossacks, pay about another £100-200. The more recent 1. 7s have a better name in the used market, so depreciation wasnt quite as high. For a 1995 N-reg Hussar, you should be able to pay under £800, though only another £200 or thereabouts will get you the much better equipped Cossack. For 97P-reg cars, youll be looking at a maximum of £1,300.The transmission system on the Niva can give trouble if the high/low range drive has not been used regularly. It may get stuck and cause all kinds of drive problems. Check all the differentials, engine sump and gearbox for oil leaks. Alternators have been known to be unreliable, too. Corrosion can rear its ugly head in the doors (where they meet the glass) and the tailgate, so have a good look for bubbles in the paintwork. On the inside, believe it or not, the dashboard can work its way loose and come off at an inopportune moment, so check the mounting points. The rest of the interior also tends to be a little on the flimsy side, so don't be disappointed to find the odd switch or button missing and the seat fabric frayed.(Based on a 1993 model) Here's where a Lada has the last laugh prices are amazingly cheap. A new clutch is only about £70 and a full exhaust under £120. Brake pads are under £20, a headlamp is about £30, and a radiator is less than £90.A Niva is not at its best on the motorway, but it will be able to plough its way through a muddy field. If your daily grind is on greasy B roads, rather than the central London crawl, then your Niva will have a chance to show what it was designed for. Think of it as an off-roader that you can drive on the road and you'll be forgiving of the basic nature of its dynamics.Not a vehicle for those who can't live without all the latest technology. For the money, a Niva is a good buy and its style of basic features with off-roading ability appeals to many. In fact, if you want to get into off-roading and money is tight, give the little Russian a try.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2005 01:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Lada Samara (1987 - 1997) : BARGAIN BLOC BUYING]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - Models Covered:BY JONATHAN CROUCHForget the jokes; Lada Samaras are seriously cheap, if, admittedly, not overly cheerful. They were imported here between 1987 and 1997 and throughout that period, improvements and developments were continuous at a time when so much else in Russia seemingly became worse. The Samara has never pretended to be anything other than inexpensive and pretty basic transport for people who don't care too much about impressing the neighbours. These cars are bought by people who want something that's cheap to own, built to last and not stuffed full of gimmicky luxuries like electric windows, central locking and power steering, not to mention airbags. Yesterday's technology then usually reliable if a little basic.A luxury-liner it isn't, though all cars come with carpets, cloth upholstery and a rear wash/wipe. A powerful heater is far more important to motorists in Minsk than air conditioning or a CD autochanger, remember. So, its a basic car, but all the essentials are there. Just don't expect to jump out of a small Japanese car and into a Samara without a moment of shock. Interiors and seat upholstery, in particular, are hard-wearing but so must their occupants' posteriors be. Lada rear seats are well known for their ruggedness (like their home-market drivers). Conversely, the front seats are generally far too soft! As for the rest of the interior, there's very little in the way of gadgetry to go wrong and the dash is functional with a capital F, if unremarkable for any other reason.Not much, really. Steer clear of those underpowered 1.1s; you need only pay slightly more for a much better machine, a 1.3 or a 1. 5. Prices start as low as 3100 but vehicles at this level may not be long for this world. Looking at the more recent versions, youll pay from £200 for 93 and 94 platers up to a maximum of £375 for a 97-plate 1.5-litre GSX saloon. The build quality of the cars is usually fine, though there have been stories about dodgy panel-fit and poor paintwork in circulation over the years. The newer cars were certainly well built and solid. Early cars may leak in heavy rain so check the carpets for signs of staining, as well as any tell-tale corrosion bubbles at the base of the windscreen, where water is most likely to have dribbled in. Mechanically, you shouldn't have much trouble. The engines are fairly bullet-proof, if crude. Idling is known to be lumpy, so don't be concerned at the sight of the motor bouncing around a little on the mounts when cold. Chances are, it'll have you damp-eyed, remembering your old Morris Minor or Cortina from way back when Ladas were foreign and exotic.(Based on both 1.3 and 1.5 models) Spectacularly cheap. A clutch will set you back a mere £70 and a full exhaust an amazing £100. Brakepads are under £20. Alternators and starter motors are both just over £100, a radiator is about £160. A front headlamp will cost about £40.But you pay in the end. Well, to be fair, cheap ownership rarely equals excitement. Nobody buys a car in this sector of the new or used market for enthusiastic driving anyway. What you will get with the little Lada is a capable runabout that, provided you stay out of everyone's way in the overtaking lane, will get you where you need to be safely and reliably.One day not so far off, the Russians will put these cars in museums and wonder at how well they served people for so long. Until then, the Samara competes with the cheapest second and Third World machinery for honours as the bargain hunter's favourite.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2005 01:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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